As is known, many electrical components are designed for mounting to a printed circuit board, as by soldering the lead terminals of the electrical component to the surface of the printed circuit board or by connecting them to the surface of the printed circuit board with the aid of lead-less means. The quality with which the electrical components are electrically connected to the printed circuit board depends greatly on the shape of the lead terminal, as well as the soldering condition resulting from the particular shape of the terminal. Therefore, efforts constantly are being made to design improved lead terminal shapes to improve the overall connection of electrical components to printed circuit boards. For instance, some degree of yielding or flexibility is desired in the terminals as well as between the electrical components and the printed circuit board to relieve stresses at the soldering connections.
This invention is directed to satisfying the need for new and improved surface mounted terminals and electrical connectors of the character described.